Waldorf-Astoria proposal divides Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills, a former cattle range turned city of $200 steaks, is mired in a controversy that highlights anew the crosscurrents buffeting the famed citadel of luxury.

The battle pits those who hope to import one of New York's most famous hotels -- the Waldorf-Astoria -- and build a batch of new luxury condos against residents who say enough is enough, the streets are already clogged to the point of gridlock.

It pits a city administration that has recently approved several large commercial developments against those who yearn for the days when Beverly Hills had the charm of a village, albeit a village where natives cheered when Spago became a local hangout.

It has set neighbor against neighbor and former mayor against former mayor.

The mood is getting ugly there in 90210.

Come Nov. 4, voters will be asked to decide: Should the Beverly Hilton be allowed to build a high-rise Waldorf-Astoria hotel and two luxury condo towers on its site at the bustling corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards?

The Hilton maintains that the proposed project would provide millions of dollars of needed tax revenue for police, firefighters and schools and would revitalize a dated corner.

Opponents counter that the project is just too big and that the Hilton is exaggerating the potential benefits. Even some residents who generally favor development fear the result would be more traffic congestion and increased density in a city that is losing its legendary charm.

"It's no longer a village," said Larry Larson, a real estate attorney and commercial property owner who is leading the effort against Measure H, the November ballot measure that will determine the fate of the expansion. "The cumulative effect has been overwhelming."

The stakes are high, and so are emotions. Bruising political battles pop up routinely in Beverly Hills, and this one promises to be memorable.

After the City Council narrowly approved the Hilton project in April, detractors gathered enough signatures to put the issue before the people, in the hope that a majority would derail the plan -- or induce the Hilton to scale it back -- by voting no. Now, "Yes on H" and "No on H" lawn signs duel for attention along the mansion-lined drives.